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CFSI

Children's Film Society India was founded soon after India's independence by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, whose affection for children is well known. Pandit Nehru established CFSI with the hope that indigenous and exclusive cinema for children would stimulate their creativity, compassion and critical thinking.
CFSI started functioning in 1955 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with Pandit Hriday Nath Kunzru as President. CFSI's maiden production Jaldeep won the first prize for best Children's Film at the 1957 Venice Film Festival. Since then CFSI has continued to produce, exhibit and distribute quality content for children: from feature films, shorts, animations to television episodes and documentaries.

Since its inception CFSI has produced close to 250 films in 10 Indian languages, many of which have won prestigious national and international awards. Catalogue films are available through sale of DVDs and acquisition of Indian and World sale rights. Most films are available in dubbed and subtitled versions as well.

Over the years some of the brightest talents of Indian Cinema – Mrinal Sen, Satyen Bose, Tapan Sinha, K Abbas, Shyam Benegal, MS Sathyu, Sai Paranjpe, Budhdhadeb Dasgupta, Santosh Sivan, Ram Mohan, Rituparno Ghosh and Pankaj Advani to name a few – have directed films for us. They are joined by many other new and imaginative film-makers who have created some of the most delightful children's content in the country.

CFSI promotes films that provide healthy and wholesome entertainment for children to broaden their perspective and encourage them to reflect on the world around. With an enviable catalogue of 250 films in 10 different languages, CFSI remains the prime producer of children's films in South Asia. We also organise film screenings across the country, reaching out to approximately four million children annually.

CFSI is committed to strengthening the children's film movement within India and promoting Indian produced children's films across the globe.

Gabriele Brennen, Director of "Extravagant India!" has been member of the jury of th 49th edition of the festival in november 2015.